NavList:

Hi Josh, thanks for the questions

Posted to Bristol Freighters which were only used for transport up and down NZ - to Singapore ( as NZ had a detachment in Singapore) and Island hoping freight delivery the South Pacific Islands - Fiji, Tonga, Gilberts, Chatham Island - it had quite a good range - big ugly thing - last logged flight in Bristol Freighter was 30 Jul 1976 - Whenuapai - Tonga - Nausori - Funafuti - Nandi - Whenuapai - NZ 5911 which is now being restored in the Bristol Aircraft museum UK. 

I was posted straight to P3B Orions 1976 - 1982 - total hours flying 4000

I have a Mk 25 Davis sextant - it is plastic - I have only used that a few times as I live in land in Australia in the Southern Highlands and didn't have an artificial horizon then - I do now - and everytime I went to the coast it was the East Coast and by the time I arrived the sun was most often west so even a natural horizon alluded me.

Then I bought a refurbished MK A10A USAAF dual bubble/natural horizon sextant that I have used a few times and seems to work well but don't have the charts to plot position with as I am use to in an aircraft.

We are trying to move to Canberra and am hoping to buy in the rural area where artificial light is zilch - then I will set myself up for navigation and astronomy - as I always wanted to make my own telescope - longterm dream.

Nope - flying stopped 1984 when I left the air force and became a veterinary surgeon - which I did for 30 years plus - now I am bum on seat inside - my own software development company and helping my son in his business of privisioning medical practices around Australia into the cloud environment ....... a huge growing industry.

I keep very fit - still long distant running - had both hips replaced - 2nd one 28 May 26 and already back pounding turf training for another marathon.

So I keep very busy and retirement isn't in my dictionary.

For the record I have an identical twin brother - we flew together on Orions he was pilot - I was navigator, Tacco - he is still flying as Captain Air NZ and also runs ..... so I am kept well briefed on aviation roles.

Still have my HP 42  and carry it everywhere - might even put my astro calculations into it for something to do - not the 249s but using the true maths formulae.

Regards Howard G